Supplied – KMR PhotographyYou pay a lot for university: classes, textbooks, heaps of caffeine, footlongs from Subway and that Netflix subscription you binge on when you should be studying. Almost hidden in those fees are non-instructional and dedicated fees — some of which you can opt-out of for a refund. But before you start opting out of everything for that cash back, check out our guide below to help you make the right decision.
Students’ Union Health and Dental Plan
Cost (Health Plan): $118 (for full- and part-time students) per year.
Cost (Dental Plan): $116.50 (for full- and part-time students) per year.
Maybe you’re still living at home and still covered by your parents’ health plan. If so, lucky you! We say that because a lot of students aren’t as fortunate. If you’re covered by your parents’ insurance plan, you can opt-out of the SU’s Health and Dental Plan, but make sure you do so before the Sept. 15, 2015 for the fall term and Jan. 20, 2016 for the winter term.
The SU Health and Dental Plan was established in 2009, and covers health, dental, vision and travel benefits while also providing tuition insurance. Use our guide to help you determine whether the SU’s Health and Dental Plan is right for you and your needs before opting out.
Access Fund
Cost: $14.08 (full- and part-time) per fall or winter term, $6.19 (all students) per spring or summer term.
The SU’s Access Fund provides non-repayable financial assistance for undergraduate students who are ineligible for student loans or just don’t have enough funding to pay for their studies. The Access Fund also offers financial aid for students who have maxed out their student loan amounts.
The Access Fund was founded in 1995 through a referendum vote during the SU elections.
Students wishing to opt-out of the fee can do so online during the first four weeks of the term at su.ualberta.ca/services/accessfund/optout.
APIRG
The Alberta Public Interest Research Group (APIRG) is a student-run, non-profit activist organization with a focus on research, education, advocacy and action in public interest. They work to support students’ anti-oppression initiatives by providing funding, resources and guidance.
“The caveat is that the organizing needs to be involved in our APIRG mandate,” APIRG Outreach Coordinator Nav Kaur told The Gateway earlier this year. “So it needs to be anti-oppressive, anti-racist and against cultural oppression in a meaningful way. We want students to organize for complex social issues.”
There are three ways to opt-out of APIRG and have this fee refunded. You can download the opt-out form from apirg.org or pick one up from their office in HUB. You can then drop it off at their office or e-mail it to [email protected].
